Jerry McIntire

Yes, standard practice with lots of urine (collected in a jug) is to dilute it 5 or 10 to 1. Peeing next to plants usually doesn't hurt as long as rain or irrigation happens, and you rotate where you pee. I don't pee in the same place in the same month, but our dogs did and killed many plants.

Replying to say I found this latest thread of yours. Glad to hear that you made it to the nursery at The Draw, and that you will visit Mark's farm. His place is an excellent study in planning the land use and focusing on earth works before starting to plant perennials.

Hi Coydon, how are things looking now that summer is here? Did you finish the yurt? Or is there another thread for your camp progress?
We will be in Wisconsin for three weeks in July, currently in Michigan (lower peninsula).

Casie Becker wrote: https://www.sunnsand.net/hcj342/  That's the closest I see to this one.  
By the way, you are all too slow.  That hat's going to be mine.

It's made in China! Don't do it!

Here is my big straw hat, made in Mexico. $10 at any border crossing. Shades shoulders as well as face and neck.

Mark Persky wrote: I made a rocket stove hot tub and it takes about 2-3 hours to get ALL that water up to suitable temperature.  On the plus side, it’s sort of like compound interest, in that the first hour or so the temperature doesn’t rise much.  But as it warms and gets cycles back through the copper tubing buried within the cob, it’s fetter warmer and then hotter much faster.  I use a laser thermometer and estimate when to stop feeding the stove.  

Nice photo! How is the rocket heater set up/connected to the water in the tub? Is there another thread with information on your tub?

Sky Huddleston wrote:I didn't know that pressure treated was not allowed, the good thing is that I have recently secured a very inexpensive source of very tight grained white oak, which after long deliberation I have decided to go ahead and tongue and groove 1" thick boards rather than rabbet them, and then use dowel rods 3" into each side of the boards along the joints, and laminate in two layers of alternating grain direction to form a 2" thick door. This will absolutely minimize warpage due to seasonal changes and make for a door that is literally bullet resistant.

I am so glad to hear you are not going to build a 3" thick door. Would have been too heavy, and overkill. 2" of oak laminated of 1" boards will be plenty stout. I doubt that Paul would want to buy rigid foam board for an insulation/thermal break layer, but if there is some to be repurposed a 1" layer between the oak skins would make a big difference in the winter. Then you would have the additional step of banding the edge with more oak.

NO used motor oil as a finish! Toxic fumes for quite a while, and again each time you add a coat. My expertise is in finishes. I would start on the outside with a colorless, penetrating wood treatment that is basically silicate. Never any rot that way. Everwood https://evercrete.com/products/everwood-ew/  or  TimberPro internal wood stabilizer https://timberprocoatingsusa.com/products/internal-wood-stabilizer/ (both made in USA).

Next, you can use a water-base stain with some color (the more pigment, the better the protection). Other non-toxic alternatives are Teak Guard (easy to use, water base, does not form a surface film, easy to apply, has a burnt-red, almost maroon coloring to it), or any of the TimberPro finishes at the link above (made in Portland, Oregon and I have used their products on many projects) or Envirolast https://envirolast.com/product/envirolast-stain-and-seal-5-gal/ . Not inexpensive, however.

Dave Lotte wrote:i will not be using straight epoxy on an exterior surface again...
Maybe some fiberglass would have helped...  it has been in use since 2019 though.

Fiberglass cloth would have helped some, but epoxy can't be left exposed to ultraviolet light. Best to epoxy it then paint it black or, better yet, add an overhang to protect the door from rain and sun.
Another way to get a black door and strengthen the epoxy (together with fiberglass cloth, which adds tremendous strength and surface integrity), is to mix in graphite powder. I do this for the bottom of my wooden boat, it stands up to grinding on a beach.
Also, plywood is not a good choice for the exterior skin. Lumber will not crack or check as much.

Nice shape!

Trees are generally available during a short window when shipping and planting will most likely be successful. The farther north, the more true this is. Getting on the email list of a couple good suppliers is a way to learn their availability dates and when you can place orders early to get limited stock. I would also check your local county extension service because they often sell native trees at good prices, in quantity.

Kevin Carson wrote:Cool! Will they keep for a while through the winter with the soft skins, or so you have to use them up right after harvest?

They will keep for a month or more if they are in a cool, dry place but they do not store as well as winter squash do.

H Schweitzer wrote: We used a lamp fixture and extension cord with the can turned upside down (drilling a hole in the can to feed cord through, lid on the bottom because the groove on the bottom side will keep waterer from sliding off.

Do you put the waterer on top of the can? I understand that the light bulb is inside the can. Do you have a picture?
Thanks